5 days ago
Former staff of Hong Kong news outlet Channel C launch new media platform with support of ‘white knight'
A group of former staff from Hong Kong independent media outlet Channel C has launched a new online news platform with the financial support of a 'white knight.'
Ronson Chan, a former reporter at Channel C, told HKFP on Thursday that he and some former colleagues had set up a new media outlet called Channel We.
The new media outlet published its first story on Facebook, Instagram and Threads on Thursday morning, reporting that Chung Pui-kuen, former chief editor of the defunct outlet Stand News, was released from prison after serving one year and nine months for a sedition conviction.
Channel C staff stopped working after the company failed to pay its employees from April 23, Channel We said in a statement.
'After our persistent efforts for over two months, we have finally found a 'white knight' to support us, and therefore we will continue to report on Channel We,' the new news outlet added.
Channel We 'produces content that 'we' should care about and delivers information about 'we' Hongkongers,' according to its description on Facebook.
Chan, former chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and former Stand News journalist, shared a Channel We post on his Facebook page on Thursday.
'We will continue to report news, do live-streaming, and report news about Hongkongers,' Chan wrote in Chinese.
Channel C halted operations
Channel C was founded by a small group of former Apple Daily employees in July 2021 following the closure of the Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper.
However, Channel C halted operations in April this year after at least one director at its parent company was arrested for allegedly defrauding a government loan programme.
The defunct media outlet owes 29 editorial staff members HK$660,000 in salaries, pension contributions, and other miscellaneous expenses, a source familiar with the matter told HKFP.
